CALGARY, Alberta, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock
index climbed to its highest level in more than four weeks on
Tuesday as a broad-based year-end rally offset weakness in
mining shares due to lower gold prices.

The S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE jumped 193.43 points,
or 2.24 percent, to close at 8,830.72 in a second straight
session of triple-digit gains.

With the exception of the materials group, which includes
gold-mining stocks, all of the TSX's 10 main sectors staged
gains on the penultimate trading day of 2008.
Telecommunications rose 4.7 percent, consumer discretionary
issues gained 4.4 percent and financials climbed 3.3 percent.

It was the index's highest close since Nov. 28, but still
represents a drop of 36 percent this year due to the global
economic meltdown and steep drops in commodity prices.

"One point to make, as always at this time of year, is how
small the volumes are, so therefore it doesn't take much to
move it," said Gavin Graham, director of investments at BMO
Asset Management.
Continued...